R-359 Page 1 of 2 2018

R-359 Page 1 of 2 2018 No. R-359. House concurrent resolution honoring the life and legacy of Robert Romeo De Cormier Jr. of Belmont. (H.C.R.287) Offered by: All Members of the House Offered by: All Members of the Senate Whereas, for Robert De Cormier, music, and especially choral music, was a creative way to express his dedication to promoting peace and justice in the world, and Whereas, he studied at Colby College in Maine and the University of New Mexico before joining the U.S. Army during World War II, and Whereas, while he was serving in Germany, mortar fire severely damaged his wrist, ending any hope of his pursuing a trumpeter’s career; but back home in New York, he joined the Congress of Industrial Organizations Chorus and met the folk singer Pete Seeger, forming an enduring friendship, and Whereas, Robert De Cormier earned a master’s degree from the famed Juilliard School of Music and taught at New York City’s Little Red School House, where one of his students, Mary Travers, would become part of the Peter, Paul and Mary folk trio with whom he maintained a close personal and professional relationship, and Whereas, his diverse choral leadership included The Belafonte Folk Singers, the De Cormier Singers, and the New York Choral Society, and Whereas, he helped found the Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) Chorus in 1993, and Whereas, in 1999, Robert De Cormier formed Counterpoint, an 11-member ensemble that performs “choral chamber music throughout Vermont’s communities and beyond,” whose broad repertoire includes classical, folk, sacred, and spiritual music, and which has produced a discography of nine recordings reflecting this musical diversity, and Whereas, Robert De Cormier received the 2002 Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, and Middlebury College and the University of Vermont each conferred on him an honorary degree, and Whereas, after his son, Christopher, died in 1977 of cancer at 23 years of age, Robert De Cormier composed “Legacy,” a moving choral remembrance set to the poetry of his father-in-law, John Dobbs, and in January 2018 the VSO Chorus remembered its illustrious conductor of 21 years with a heartfelt performance, and Whereas, the Friends of Robert De Cormier, comprising selected VSO choristers, sang his final work, “Sing for Peace,” at St Michael’s College, and Whereas, Robert De Cormier died on November 7, 2017, and his survivors include his wife and musical partner, Louise; daughter, Robin; two grandchildren; and two great- grandchildren, now therefore be it VT LEG #332322 v.1 R-359 Page 2 of 2 2018 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives: That the General Assembly honors the life and work of and extends its sincere condolences to the family of Robert Romeo De Cormier Jr. of Belmont, and be it further Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to the family of Robert De Cormier, to Counterpoint, and to the VSO. VT LEG #332322 v.1 .

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